Spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was watching closely all “statements and rhetoric” coming from U.S. President Donald Trump.

In contrast, the Russian Federation has been referred to as an “imitation democracy”. It has institutions that one would find in democratic systems of government (a parliament and a directly elected president). But, among other flaws, these institutions do not function within a genuinely competitive or fair electoral environment.

Vladimir Putin appeared on Russian television to appeal to Donald Trump not to start World War III and congratulated him on his win, hours before Donald Trump's Inaugural address as the 47th President of the United States.

MOSCOW. Jan 23 (Interfax) - There are no plans to arrange a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding gas supplies to Slovakia, but this can be done if necessary, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Disrespectful", "insulting", and "ill-informed." Donald Trump's threats aimed at strong-arming Moscow into ending its war in Ukraine have been badly received by some politicians and nationalists in Russia who say his tactics bode ill for a deal.

There may be progress on setting up a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump only after the U.S. President-elect takes office, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Trump has disclosed that both he and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to meet as soon as he takes office.

We have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess,” says U.S. president-elect about the Russian ruler’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“He wants to meet, and we’re setting it up,” Trump said during a gathering with Republican governors at his Mar-a-Lago resort. “President Putin wants to meet - he’s said that even publicly - and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess,” Trump said.

A senior Moscow official says the Kremlin welcomes U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s readiness to meet with Russian President Vladimir ... spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a conference call. Trump said Thursday that “Putin wants to ...

Trump said a meeting between himself and Putin was being set up, however, Putin's spokesman said Moscow had received no requests to set up a meeting.